Roving and method and apparatus for forming and packaging same



Aug. 11, 1970 J, KUNK ET AL 3,523,650

ROVING AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND PACKAGING SAME OriginalFiled May 14, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 may iil:

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AM6 H. Ai-vs I I ATT A/Zm Patented Aug. 11, 1970 3,523,650 ROVING ANDMETHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND PACKAGING SAME Jerome P. Klink,Newark, and James C. Belue, Sylvania, Ohio, and James H. Sears,Anderson, S.C., assignors to Owens-Coming Fiberglas Corporation, acorporation of Delaware Original application May 14, 1965, Ser. No.455,753, now Patent No. 3,367,587, dated Feb. 6, 1968. Divided and thisapplication Jan. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 696,167

Int. Cl. B65h 54/08 US. Cl. 24218 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREThe invention relates to a roving and to a method of and apparatus forforming fibers or filaments of the roving by attenuating streams ofmineral material into fibers or filaments and winding the roving in apackage having ends in parallel planes, the method including the stepsof sensing enlargement of the package and positioning a thread guideunder the influence of the sensor to maintain the guide close to thepackage and compacting the roving at the ends of the package.

This application is a division of application, Ser. No. 455,753, filedMay 14, 1965, now Pat. No. 3,367,587.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for formingheat-softenable material to filaments and packaging the newly formedfilaments, and more particularly to atenuating streams of heat-softenedmaterial such as glass to filaments, forming a roving of the filamentsand winding the roving into a package.

Endeavors have been made to produce comparatively large wound packagesof a strand or roving of newly formed filaments attenuated from glassstreams.

Difficulties have been encountered in forming large packages of suchroving or strand by winding the same on a winding collet. Heretofore, informing strand packages it has been a practice to employ a buildermechanism providing a tapered end package to prevent sloughing of theroving or strand at the package ends, this' method necessarily limitingthe size of the package.

Heretofore it was deemed desirable to apply size or coating material tothe filaments of the roving in order to establish some degree ofintegrity in the roving to facilitate further processing. The filamentsforming the roving were attenuated at high linear speeds and thefilaments being acted upon by an oscillator or traverse means at suchhigh linear speeds and at high oscillator frequencies resulted in anexcessive amount of fuzz which impaired the quality of the roving as acertain amount of fuzz is necessarily embodied in the wound package.Such method of packaging could not provide a finished package withsquare ends normal to the axis of the package or produce a package ofsubstantially uniform diameter throughout the length of a package.

The present invention embraces a method of attenuating streams ofheat-softened mineral material, such as glass, into continuousfilaments, combining the filaments into a roving and winding the rovinginto a package in a manner providing a substantially cylindrical packagewith square or planar ends in parallel planes normal to the axis of thewound package whereby a package of roving of comparatively large sizemay be produced economically.

The invention embraces the provision of a method of producingsubstantially large packages of continuous filament roving wherein theroving is traversed during winding of the package in a manner to producea cylindricallyshaped wound package with planar ends without the use ofsupport means for the ends of the package.

An object of the invention embraces a novel roving product wherein alarge number of streams of glass are attenuated to continuous filamentssimultaneously and the filaments gathered into untwisted bundledrelation providing a roving wherein the filaments are not adhered one toanother by coating material.

An object of the invention resides in a provision of a wound package ofcontinuous filament roving and a method of forming a wound package ofroving wherein the roving is traversed during package formation toeffect collection of the roving in successive layers of equal length andwherein the pattern of deposition of the roving in each layer ismaintained throughout the entire package by varying and correlating therate of movement of the traverse proportional to the increasing size ofthe package during its formation.

Another object of the invention resides in a method of winding amultifilament roving into a package wherein the roving is traversedduring collection to provide a package of successive superposed layers,the method involving compacting the roving adjacent each end region ofthe package during traversing of the roving and thereby promote theformation of a cylindrically shaped package having square ends.

Another object of the invention embraces a method of guiding a rovingonto a package with a traverse guide disposed close to the package andcontrolling the position of the traverse guide as the package increasesin size to continuously maintain the guide close to the peripheralsurface of the package.

Another object of the invention resides in a method of controlling therelative position of a traverse guide for the roving being wound intopackage formation wherein a sensing medium is influenced by theenlarging package to control the position of a traverse guide means forthe roving relative to the package.

Another object resides in a sensing means which is influenced by thepackage as the latter increases in size to actuate mechanism for movingthe traverse guide radially of the package through successiveincremental distances only suflicient to maintain the traverse guideclose to the peripheral surface of the package throughout its formation.

Another object of the invention resides in engaging a guide for theroving with the end regions of the package being formed duringtraversing of the roving to compact or compress the roving at thepackage ends.

Another object embraces a method of attenuating and converging filamentsof glass directly into a roving and packaging the roving wherein thequantity of the filaments and size of the filaments are such as toeffect a sufficiently high unit throughput of glass from a stream feederand thereby secure economic advantages to an extent that the largenumber and size of filaments facilitates a comparatively slow linearrate of filament attenuation and slow traverse of the roving duringpackaging to thereby substantially eliminate interabrasion of thefilaments during collection providing a roving of high quality atreduced cost.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a method of windinga roving into a package in a manner whereby a comparatively largepackage may be formed having square ends and without end supports forthe package during winding.

Another object of the invention resides in an apparatus embodying anarrangement for accumulating roving at a region spaced from the packageforming region during periods of start-up until the filaments of theroving attain a substantially constant linear speed to provide a rovingfashioned of filaments of uniform size.

Another object of the invention resides in an appara tus and arrangementfor resetting a traverse guide for the roving from the position at thecompletion of a package to a position for properly guiding the rovingonto an empty collector at the start of a package.

Another object of the invention resides in a combined sensor and guidefor a roving positioned close to the package of roving being formed, thecombined sensor and roving guide being mounted for traverse lengthwiseof the package and disposed whereby the same is engaged by the packageat the regions of reversal of the traverse at the ends of the package toexert a force or pressure against the end regions of the package tocompact the roving at said end regions to form a package of cylindricalshape having square ends and wherein a predetermined pressure betweenthe sensor and the package actuates means to reposition the sensor androving guide relative to the package to accommodate the enlargingpackage.

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of this inventionsuch as relate to the arrangement, op eration and function of therelated elements of the structure, to various details of constructionand to combinations of parts, elements per se, and to economies ofmanufacture and numerous other features as will be apparent from aconsideration of the specification and drawing of a form of theinvention, which may be preferred, in which:

FIG. 1 is a semi-diagrammatic front elevational view of an apparatus forcarrying out the method of forming and packaging roving of continuousfilaments of heatsoftenable material;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of the package size sensorand guide for the roving and means for traversing the roving duringpackage formation;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the package size sensor and traverseguide means for the roving and switch means for controlling the circuitof traverse positioning means;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a portion of the traverse mounting armshown in FIG. 3 illustrating the sensor and guide for the roving;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the package of roving showing themethod of compacting the roving at the end regions of the package by thetraverse guide;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a completed package of rovingillustrating the square ends of the package, and

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of components of the apparatus forpackaging the roving and controls therefor.

While the method and apparatus of the invention are particularly usablefor forming filaments of heat-softened mineral material such as glassand producing roving of the filaments and packaging the roving, it is tobe understood that the method and apparatus may be utilized for formingand packaging roving formed of other fiberforming materials.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings there isillustrated a receptacle or feeder 10 containing a supply ofheat-softened glass or other filament-forming material. Where thematerial is glass the feeder .10 may be connected with a forehearth (notshown) supplied with glass from a furnace, or the glass may be reducedto heat-softened condition in a melter or other means connected with thefeeder 10. The feeder or receptacle 10 is provided at its ends withterminal lugs 12 adapted to be connected with a source of electricenergy for supplying heat to the material in the receptacle to maintainthe material at the proper temperature and viscosity for formingfilaments.

The floor or tip section 14 of the feeder 10 is equipped with a largenumber of depending projections or tips 16, the tips having orificestherein for flowing streams 18 of the glass or other filament-formingmaterial from the feeder.

The streams are attenuated into individual continuous filaments 20. Afeature of the invention involves forming a roving 22 by converging alarge number of filaments attenuated directly from the glass streams 18into untwisted bundled relation by a gathering shoe 24.

The roving comprises at least one thousand individual continuousfilaments and preferably contains two thousand or more filamentssimultaneously attenuated from streams flowing from the feeder 10. Theindividual filaments are of an average diameter of twenty hundredthousandths of an inch or more. The large number of filaments making upthe roving and the size of the filaments enables attenuation atcomparatively slow linear speed of about four thousand five hundred feetper minute with a slow traverse during package formation. The highthroughput of glass facilitates production of the roving at a low cost.A second shoe or guide 25 for the roving may be provided as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2. Nozzles 23 may be provided for directing sprays of wateronto the newly formed filaments.

While it is preferable to form the roving in which the only materialdelivered onto the filaments is water, for certain end uses, it may bedesirable to apply lubricants or coating materials to the filaments. Forthis purpose an applicator housing 26 supports an applicator 28 which,as shown in FIG. 2, may be an endless belt partially immersed in coatingmaterial contained in the housing for transferring the coating material.to the filaments through wiping action of the filaments engaging a filmof coating material on the applicator belt 28.

The roving 22 is collected in a package by a winding machine orapparatus 32, the roving being wound onto a collector, such as a tube orsleeve 34, telescoped onto a rotatable collet 36. The winding of theroving into a package attenuates the glass streams 18 to filaments 20.The winding collet 36 is rotated by an electrically energizable motor 38contained within a housing 40 of the winding machine.

The speed of the motor 38 varied in a manner hereinafter explained toreduce the rotational speed of the winding collet 36 as the package ofroving 35 increases in size so as to maintain substantially constant thelinear speed of the filaments to attenuate filaments of uniform size.

An important feature of the invention resides in the method andarrangement for guiding and traversing the roving as it is wound into apackage wherein the traverse guide for the roving is maintained at alltimes close to the package in order that the roving is properlydistributed on the package and is compacted at the end regions of thepackage.

The method involves the step of compacting the roving at the packageends, viz at the region of reversal of a traverse means for the rovingto provide support for each succeeding layer to assure the formation ofa square end package and eliminating a stair-step or tapering effect andconsequently any tendency for the roving to slough off at the packageends, the package being formed without lateral support for the ends ofthe package. The traverse guide means for the roving is mounted on asupport means or arm 60, shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, provided with ahollow or tubular horizontal section 62 in which a traverse actuatingmeans or member 64 is journally mounted for rotation.

The member 64 is of cylindrical shape and is fashioned with a multiplereturn groove or cam 66 for reciprocating a traverse member 68. The axisof the traverse actuator 64 is parallel with the axis of the windingcollet 36.

The traverse member 68, which may be of metal or rigid resinousmaterial, is fashioned with grooves 70, the grooves accommodating ways72 provided on the member 62 and which are parallel with the axis of thetraverse actuator 64 providing for reciprocable movement of the traverse68 along the ways 72.

The traverse 68 is equipped with a cam follower 74 of arcuate shapefitting in the cam groove 66. The follower 74 is formed with a tenonportion 76 which is journaled for pivotal movement in the traversemember 68, as shown in FIG. 4, to accommodate swivel or pivotal movementof the follower 74 at the reversal regions 66' of the multiple returngroove 66. The traverse member 68 is equipped with a guide means 78 forthe roving, the guide means 78 also functioning to compact the roving atthe ends of the package and to sense increase in the size of thepackage.

The traverse guide 78 for the roving includes a disclike portion 80having a stem or shaft 82 slidably mounted in openings in bars 83 and 84of the traverse member 68. The portion 80 supports a pad or member 86 ofmicarta or other material having a recess or slot 87 accommodating theroving 22 for guiding the roving onto the package during reciprocatingtraverse of the guide. An abutment member or pin 88 carried by the stem82 limits the outermost position of the pad 86. An expansive coil spring90 engages the bar 84 and a washer 92 adjacent the pin 88 for biasingthe traverse guide member toward the periphery of the package 35 on thecollet 36. i

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rotatable traverse actuator 64, journaledinthe horizontal section 62 of the arm 60, has a shaft portion 94equipped with a sprocket 95 connected by a nonslipping belt 96 with asecond sprocket 98, the latter being mounted on a shaft 99 which isdriven through suitable transmission gearing 100 from an electricallyenergizable motor 102, or connected through a nonslipping means withmotor 38 to positively maintain constant ratio. The shaft 99 extendsthrough a hollow portion 104 of the arm 60 extending into and journaledin bearings (not shown) mounted within the winding machine housing 40.In this manner the traversing cam 64 is rotated by the motor 102, orthrough other mechanical means, independently of the relative positionof the arm 60. The traverse guide is reciprocated at a comparativelyslow speed as filament attenuation is carried on at a comparatively slowspeed. These characteristics substantially eliminate abrasion orimpairment of the roving by the traverse guide.

The method of the invention involves maintaining the guide 78 close tothe package and includes an arrangement responsive to the increase insize of the package for moving or repositioning the traverse support arm60 to accommodate the enlarging package while maintaining the guidemeans 78 for the roving in substantially the same position close oradjacent to the periphery of the package throughout the formation of thepackage.

This arrangement includes means for initiating incremental movements ofthe arm 60 and the traverse guide 78 for the roving away from thepackage as the package increases in size. As shown in FIG. 2, thejournal portion 104 of the arm 60 is connected by power transmissionmechanism 106 including speed reducing mechanism 108 with a motor 110.

The motor 110 is of a comparatively slow speed synchronous type rotatingat about 70 r.p.m. The power transmission mechanism and speed reducinggearing may be of the planetary type although any suitable mechanism maybe used to effect a high ratio reduction between the motor 110 and thearm 60.

The motor 110 for shifting the position of the traverse support arm 60is in circuit with means for energizing and controlling the operation ofthe motor 110 through a sensing medium brought into operation byincrease in the size of the package of roving.

Mounted on the traverse 68 is a microswitch 118, the operative plunger120 of the microswitch being aligned with the plunger or stem 82. Thepad 86 of the guide 78 is adapted to be engaged by the package upon anincrease in size of the package and provides a sensor for repositioningthe arm 60 and the traverse mechanism carried thereby whenever thepackage engages the member 86 to depress the stem or plunger 82 toactuate the microswitch 118 to energize the motor to effect a veryslight rotation of the arm 60 about the axis of shaft 99 laterally awayfrom the package. I

A timer or time delay relay 122 (shown in FIG. 8) regulates the durationof rotation of the motor 110 initiated by the closing of the microswitch118 to move the strand guide and sensor 78 a very slight distance awayfrom the package in increments, an increment of movement taking placewith each actuation of the plunger of the microswitch by the stem 82 ofthe sensor 78 when the enlarging package exerts suflicient radialpressure on the traverse guide 86 to compress the spring 90. It ispreferable that the package size sensor circuit for moving the traversesupport arm 60 be rendered operative when the traverse guide 78 isadjacent an end region of the package. The circuit through themicroswitch 118 includes a spring contact member 124 which is adaptedfor engagement with a contact 126 mounted adjacent the region ofreversal 66 at one end of the cam 64, the contact 126 being insulatedfrom the horizontal section 62 of the traverse support means.

Through this arrangement the contact 124 engages the contact 126 througha short distance of traverse of the member 68 at one region of itsreversal of movement. Thus while a sensor and guide 78 may at times beengaged by peripheral regions of the package being formed, the sensorcircuit is rendered elfective when the traverse member 68 is in aposition engaging contact 124 with contact 126. A second set of contacts(not shown) similar to contacts 124 and 126 is provided for the othercurrent conductor connected with the microswitch 118.

In operation of the traverse member 68 the member reciprocates fulllength of the cam groove 66 in one direction and at the region ofreversal 66' reverses its direction and travels uninterrupted in theopposite direction until its reversal at the opposite end of the camgroove 66.

Through this method of traverse, the successive wraps or convolutions ofroving are not in crossing relation but are collected in successivelayers in which the convolutions of a layer are wound in the samedirection with the Wraps or convolutions of adjacent layers wound in adifferent direction to form a way wound package.

It has been found that in winding a package of single strand rovingwithout radial pressure on the package that the roving at the endregions of the package at the reversal Zones of the traverse guide tendsto form end zones 130, shown in broken lines in FIG. 6, of largerdiameter than the remainder of the package and increases the liabilityof the roving to slough off at package ends.

The method of the invention includes the steps of compacting the rovingradially of the package at each end region of the package during packageformation. This is accomplished by the traverse guide 78 for the roving.The expansive spring 90 surrounding the stem or rod 82, shown in FIG. 5,is fashioned to exert radial pressure against the roving in the endregions of the package sufiicient to compact the roving at said regionswhereby to form a cylindrically shaped package as shown in FIG. 7 withsquare ends 132, viz the ends lying in parallel planes normal to thelongitudinal axis of the package.

A conventional carpenters square 133 engaging the package in the mannershown in FIG. 7 serves to illustrate the cylindrical package with squareends. Through this method a way wound package is produced without theuse of package end supports during winding.

With the form of package produced by the method and apparatus of theinvention, the package is self-supporting and upon removal of thecompleted package 35 and collector 34, the collector, being a thinwalled tube, may be collapsed and removed from the interior of thepackage so that the roving may be withdrawn from the inside of thepackage for further processing.

The arrangement includes means for moving the traverse arm 60 andtraverse guide away from the package at its completion in order tofacilitate removing or dofiing the completed package from the collet 36,and for resetting or repositioning the traverse guide close to an emptycollector telescoped onto the winding collet 36 upon which a new packageis to be formed.

Mounted within the housing 40 is a cylinder 134, shown in broken linesin FIGS. 1 and 2, in which is disposed a piston 135 attached to a pistonrod 136, the piston rod being connected as at 138 with a member 140secured to an extending portion 142 of the traverse arm construction 60.The cylinder 134 is equipped with fluid conveying tubes 144 and 146 toconvey fluid such as compressed air, into the cylinder to move thepiston rod in either direction for moving the traverse arm portion 62toward or away from the winding collet 36.

Means is also provided for releasing a planetary ring of the speedreduction mechanism 108 arranged between the motor 110 and the driveshaft 99 for driving the traverse cam 64. In the embodiment illustrated,a cylinder 150 is provided with a piston and piston rod for actuating aclutch means (not shown) for engagement and disengagement with aplanetary ring of the mechanism 108 to render ineffective the planetaryspeed reducing mechanism between the motor 110 and the arm 60 to enablefluid under pressure such as compressed air introduced into the cylinder134 to move the traverse arm 60 independently of the drive motor 110 andthe speed reducing mechanism 108.

A roving take-up or pull roll 160 is journaled in bearings (not shown)contained within the housing 40, the roll being driven by a motor 161,shown in FIG. 8, energized by switch means 162 controlled by theoperator. The purpose of the roving take-up roll 160 is to effectsubstantially continuous attenuation of the filaments forming the rovingduring the period of initial start-up and during the period in which thecompleted package is brought to reset, removed from the collet and anempty collector placed upon the collect preparatory to forming a newpackage. Through this arrangement, attenuation of the streams tofilaments is maintained substantially continuous so as not toappreciably impair or afiect the thermal conditions in the feeder duringtransfer of the roving onto an empty collector.

The circuits and programmer for controlling the several motors toaccomplish the performance of method steps in winding packages of rovingare schematically illustrated in FIG. 8. The programmer 165 is forvarying the speed of the collet drive motor 38 and varying the speed ofthe traverse drive motor 102 and for conveying current to the traversearm actuating motor 110. The programmer 165 is of the characterdisclosed and described in Smith Pat. 3,109,602 wherein the speed of thecollet driving motor 38 is gradually reduced as the package of rovingincreases in size and the speed of the traverse drive motor 102 isgradually reduced in order to maintain uniform the pattern oforientation of the roving in the package.

These are important factors in winding a satisfactory package of roving.The rate of progressive decrease in speed of the collect motor 38 isprogrammed to maintain substantially constant the linear speed of thefilaments being attenuated in order that the filaments be of uniformsize, and the traverse rotor is proportionately reduced in speed tofacilitate the formation of a cylindrically-shaped package of rovinghaving square ends.

The cycle of operations and sequence of method steps in forming a rovingpackage is as follows: During formaof a package on the rotatingcollector 34, the advancing roving is being traversed by the traverseguide 78 which is reciprocated lengthwise of the package through thedrive transmitted by the multiple return groove or cam 66 on therotating traverse drive member "64 communicated to the traverse member68 through the cam follower 74 engaged in the groove 66.

The roving is traversed throughout the full length of the package ateach reciprocation of the traverse member 68 so that the successivewraps of roving are in way Wound relation. The traverse guide member 86,under the influence of the force of the spring 90, exerts radialpressure on the roving in the package at the end regions thereof tocompact the roving to successfully form a cylindrically-shaped squareend package as herein'before described.

In order to properly guide the roving as it is collected in the package,the traverse guide 86 should be substantially continuously maintained asclose as practicable to the package. During formation, the package isprogressively enlarging in diameter and the sensor arrangement formaintaining the traverse guide 78 close to the package functions asfollows: As the package diameter increases, it exerts radial pressure onthe guide 86 compressing the spring 90, the spring pressure compactingthe roving at the ends of the package.

The enlarging package further compresses the spring 90 until the plungeror stem 82 engages and depresses the plunger or operative member 120 ofthe microswitch 118 to close this switch. In this condition when thetraverse member 68 approaches an end region of its travel, themicroswitch 118 being in circuit closing position, the contact 124engages the contact member 126 carried by the traverse support 62 andcompletes a circuit through the time delay relay 122 to energize themotor 110.

The rotation of the motor through the speed reducing mechanism 108effects a slight rotation of the arm 60 about the axis of shaft 99 in acounterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 to move the traverseguide 86, member 68 and associated components a slight distance awayfrom the periphery of the package. The time delay relay 122, shown inFIG. 8, is of a character to maintain the motor 110 energized for aperiod of time to move the arm 60 and the traverse means 78 sufficientto relieve the compression of the spring 90 with the surface of thetraverse guide 86 engaging the surface of the package or spaced not morethan about 1 of an inch from the package.

Package winding continues with the arm 60 and section 62 in there-adjusted position until the enlarging package again compresses thespring 90 to an extent to move the plunger 82 to actuate the plunger ofthe microswitch 118, this operation again closing the circuit of themotor 110 through the time delay relay 122 and repositioning thetraverse support arm 60 and traverse guide 86.

Repetitive repositioning of the traverse mechanism and traverse guidecontinues until completion of the package to maintain the traverse guide86 at all times in engagement with or close to the package.

When the package 35 is completed, the operator depresses a stop switchbutton 167, de-energizing, through the programmer, the collet motor 38and the traverse drive motor 102, and energizes the pull roll drivemotor 161. Solenoid actuated valve means (not shown) is energized by theswitch button 167 to direct compressed air to the cylinder (shown inFIG. 2) to release the planetary gearing 108 from the motor 110 andconcomitantly direct compressed air through tube 146 into the right-handend of cylinder 134 to move the piston 135 to swing the traverse arm 60to its outermost position away from the completed package.

As the completed package approaches a position of rest, the operatorbreaks the roving and snubs the advancing roving onto the rotating pullor take-up roll to continue attenuation of the filaments. The operatordoffs or removes the completed package from the collet and telescopes anempty tube 34 onto the collet. The operator depresses a foot-operatedswitch means to maintain an interruption of the circuit to the colletdrive motor 38.

The depression of the foot-operated switch energizes valve means (notshown) to admit compressed air to the left-hand end of cylinder 134 toswing the traverse arm clockwise to its innermost position to bring thetraverse guide 86 close to the empty collector as shown in broken linesin FIG. 1 and to release air pressure in the cylinder 150 forreestablishing the drive connection between the motor 110 and thetraverse arm 60.

The operator then breaks the advancing roving and wraps a fewconvolutions on the empty collector and releases the foot-operatedswitch to energize the collet drive motor 38 and de-energize the pullroll drive motor 161.

When the winding collet reaches attenuating speed, the operatorpositions the advancing roving in the path of the traverse guide 86which is self-threading, the roving automatically entering the groove 87and traversing and package winding of the roving is carried on.

The collet motor 38 rotates the collet 36 at the proper speed toattenuate the streams 16 to continuous filaments and, as the packageincreases in size, the programmer 165 automatically and progressivelyreduces the speed of the collet drive motor 38 so as to maintainsubstantially constant the linear travel of the filaments so that thefilaments throughout the package are of uniform size and progressivelyreduces the speed of the traverse member 68 to maintain the properorientation of the roving throughout the package.

The package 35 of roving wound according to the method of and by theapparatus of the invention comprises successive layers of equal lengthand has square ends, that is, the planes of the ends are in substantialparallelism and the periphery of the package of cylindrical shape. Thepackages are wound without end supports. The method of forming thepackage eliminates sloughing of the roving at the package ends andenables the production of comparatively large packages of rovingcontaining upwards of ninety pounds of roving in a single package. Themethod of forming and packaging the multifilament roving substantiallyeliminates the so-called catenary effect heretofore encountered informing roving usually resulting from unequal tension of the filaments.

The package of roving may be readily processed through a dryingoperation or the package impregnated with coating material if desired.The method and apparatus for guiding the roving onto the package byguide means disposed close to the package and sensing the enlargingpackage to successively reposition the traverse guide enables constantcontrol of the roving by the traverse guide to eflect a repetitivepattern of orientation of the roving in each layer of roving and securesubstantially uniform tension throughout the package. The use of themethod of the invention results in a novel roving of filaments of glasswhich are directly attenuated from glass streams and the rovingcollected in comparatively large packages and at low cost rendering themethod commercially economical.

It is apparent that, within the scope of the invention, modificationsand different arrangements may be made other than as herein disclosed,and the present disclosure is illustrative merely, the inventioncomprehending all variations thereof.

We claim:

1. A method of packaging a bundle of fibers including winding the bundleof fibers into a package upon a rotating collector, traversing theadvancing bundle of fibers by a guide at the region of collection of thebundle of fibers in the package, sensing enlargement of the package by asensor responsive to the enlarging package, maintaining the guide closeto the package under the influence of the sensor, and compacting thebundle of fiebrs by the guide at the end regions of the package.

2. A method of producing and packaging a bundle of continuous filamentsincluding flowing streams of heatsoftened glass from a supply,attenuating the streams into continuous filaments, winding the bundle offilaments into a package upon a rotating collector, traversing theadvancing bundle of filaments by a guide at the region of collec tion ofthe bundle of filaments in the package, sensing enlargement of thepackage by a sensor responsive to the enlarging package, positioning theguide under the influence of the sensor to maintain the guide close tothe package at the region of collection of the bundle of filaments inthe package, and compacting the bundle of filaments by the guide at theend regions of the package.

3. A method of producing and packaging roving of continuous filamentsincluding flowing streams of heatsoftened glass from a supply,attenuating the streams into continuous filaments by winding the rovingof filaments into a package upon a rotating collector, engaging theadvancing roving with a traverse guide close to the package at theregion of collection of the roving in the package, reciprocating thetraverse guide to distribute the roving lengthwise of the package,sensing the enlarging package by a sensor engaged by the package, movingthe traverse guide under the influence of the sensor and radially of thepackage sufiiciently to continuously maintain the guide close to thepackage throughout the formation of the package, and compacting theroving by the guide at the end regions of the package.

4. A method of producing and packaging a roving of continuous filamentsincluding flowing streams of heatsoftened glass from a supply,attenuating the streams to continuous filaments by winding the rovinginto a package on a rotating collector, engaging the roving with a guideclose to the package, traversing the guide to distribute the rovinglengthwise of the package to form a way Wound package, sensing theenlarging package by a sensor, periodically shifting the guide radiallyof the package under the influence of the sensor as the packageincreases in size to maintain the guide close to the package throughoutpackage formation, varying the speed of the winding collector as thepackage increases in size to maintain the size of the filamentssubstantially uniform, con comitantly varying the speed of traverse ofthe guide to maintain constant the pattern of orientation of the rovingthroughout the package, and compacting the roving by the guide at theend regions of the package during formation of the package.

5. Apparatus for packaging a linear material comprising, in combination,support means, a, rotatable col lector journaled on the support meansupon which the linear material is wound into a package, means forrotating the collector, a guide for the linear material disposed closeto the package at the region of collection of the material in thepackage, relatively movable means mounted by the support means carryingsaid guide, and sensing means responsive to the enlarging package formoving the relatively movable means to maintain the guide at the regionof collection of the linear material throughout the formation of thepackage, said guide engaging the package at its end regions to compactthe linear material at said regions.

6. Apparatus for packaging linear material comprising, in combination,support means, a rotatable collector joumaled on the support means uponwhich the linear material is wound into a package, means for rotatingthe collector, a guide for the linear material disposed close to thepackage at the region of collection of the bundle of fibers in thepackage, relatively movable means mounted by the support means carryingsaid guide, means for traversing the guide to distribute the linearmaterial lengthwise of the package to form a way wound package, andsensing means responsive to the enlarging package for moving therelatively movable means to maintain the guide at the region ofcollection of the linear material throughout the formation of thepackage, said guide engaging the package at its end regions to compactthe linear material at said regions.

7. Apparatus for packaging a linear bundle of fibers comprising, incombination, a support, a rotatable collector journaled on the supportupon which the linear bundle is wound in a package, means for rotatingthe collector, a traverse member, means movably mounted on the supportand carrying the traverse member, guide means for the bundle of fibersmounted by the traverse member, motive means for moving the meanscarrying the traverse member, means for reciprocating the traversemember and guide lengthwise of the package, and control means responsiveto the enlarging package for initiating operation of said motive meansfor repositioning the traverse member successively through smallincremental distances to maintain the guide in substantially the sameposition relative to the periphery of the package throughout theformation of the package, said guide engaging the package at its endregions to compact the bundle of fibers at said regions.

8. Apparatus for packaging a linear bundle of fibers comprising, incombination, support means, a rotatable collector journaled on thesupport means upon which the bundle of filaments is wound in a package,means for rotating the collector, a traverse member, means movablymounted on the support means and carrying the traverse member, saidtraverse member being reciprocable lengthwise of the package, anelectrically energizable motor for moving the means carrying thetraverse member, guide means for the bundle of fibers mounted by thetraverse member, means for reciprocating said traverse member and guide,and switch means in the circuit of said motor, said switch means beingactuated by the guide means under the influence of the enlarging packageto periodically energize said motor for repositioning the traversemember successively through small incremental distances to maintain theguide in substantially the same position relative to the periphery ofthe package thoughout the formation of the package, said guide engagingthe package at its end regions to compact the bundle of fibers at saidregions.

9. Apparatus for packaging a linear bundle of fibers comprising, incombination, support means, a rotatable collector journaled on thesupport means upon which the linear bundle of fibers is wound, means forrotating the collector, a guide for the bundle of fibers disposed closeto the package at the region of collection of the bundle of fibers inthe package, means for traversing the guide lengthwise of the collectorfor distributing the bundle of fibers in successive layers of equallength to form a way wound package, means mounted by the support meansfor moving the traverse guide radially relative to the package, andsensing means responsive to the enlargeing diameter of the package foractuating the traverse guide moving means to move the traverse guideradially of the package to maintain the guide close to the package atthe region of collection of the bundle of fibers throughout theformation of the package, said guide engaging the package at its endregions to compact the bundle of fibers at said regions.

10. Apparatus for forming and packaging a linear bundle of filamentscomprising, in combination, a stream feeder containing heat-softenedglass, said feeder having orifices for flowing a plurality of streams ofthe glass, support means, a rotatable collector journaled on the supportmeans upon which the bundle of filaments is wound in a package toattenuate the streams to filaments, means for rotating the collector, aguide for the bundle of filaments disposed close to the package at theregion of collection of the bundle in the package, means mounted on thesupport means carrying said guide, means for traversing the guidelengthwise of the collector for distributing the bundle in successivelayers of equal length to form a way wound package, means for moving theguide carrying means to move the guide radially relative to the package,and sensing means responsive to the increasing diameter of the packagecontrolling the movement of the guide carrying means to maintain theguide close to the package at the region of collection of the bundlethroughout the formation of the package, said traverse guide engagingthe package at its end regions to compact the bundle at said regions.

11. Apparatus for forming and packaging a linear bundle of filamentscomprising, in combination, a stream feeder containing heat-softenedglass, said feeder having orifices for flowing a plurality of streams ofthe glass, support means, a rotatable collector journaled on the supportmeans upon which the bundle of filaments is wound in a package toattenuate the streams to filaments, means for rotating the collector, anarm movably mounted on the support means and having a section parallelwith the axis of rotation of the collector, a traverse 'block mounted onsaid section for reciprocable traverse lengthwise of the package, meansfor moving the arm to change the position of the traverse block radiallyrelative to the package, a guide for the bundle of filaments carried bythe traverse block disposed close to the package at the region ofcollection of the bundle on the package, resilient means biasing theguide toward the package, and means operative through relative movementof the guide by enlargement of the package to actuate the arm movingmeans for repositioning the traverse block successively through smallincremental distances to maintain the guide close to the package at theregion of collection of the bundle thereon throughout the formation ofthe package.

12. A method of packaging a linear bulk fibrous product includingwinding the product into a package upon a rotating collector, traversingthe advancing product by a guide, sensing enlargement of the package bya sensor responsive to the enlarging package, maintaining the guide inpredetermined relation to the periphery of the package under theinfluence of the sensor, and compacting the bulk fibrous product by theguide at the end regions of the package.

13. The method of forming and packaging a group of continuous filamentsof glass including flowing about two thousand streams of glasssimultaneously from a supply, winding the group of filaments on a.rotating collector at a linear speed of about four thousand feet perminute, traversing the advancing group of filaments by a guide at theregion of collection in the package through successive equal distanceslengthwise of the package to distribute the group of filaments insuccessive layers of equal length, sensing enlargement of the package bya sensor, maintaining the traversing of the group at the region ofcollection under the influence of the sensor, and compacting the groupof filaments by the guide at the end regions of the package.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,463,773 3/1949 Jencks 242-183,109,602 11/1963 Smith 242-18 3,254,978 6/1966 Hayes 24242 XR 3,367,5872/1968 Klink et al. 242-18 STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner W. H.SCHROEDER, Assistant Examiner

